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NFL: Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals enjoy Wildcard wins

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen completed 21 of 25 passes for 308 yards and five touchdowns
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen completed 21 of 25 passes for 308 yards and five touchdowns

The Buffalo Bills thrashed the New England Patriots 47-17 on Wildcard Weekend to advance in the NFL play-offs.

Quarterback Josh Allen lead the rout as the temperature plummeted to -16C at the Highmark Stadium.

Allen threw for 308 yards and five touchdowns while also rushing for 66 yards as the Bills, who had retained their AFC East title this season, became the first team in the Super Bowl era to score a touchdown on each of their first seven possessions in a play-off game.

Dawson Knox and Devin Singletary scored first-half touchdowns, before Emmanuel Sanders, Gabriel Davis and Tommy Doyle made the end zone in a ruthless win.

Bills safety Micah Hyde denied the Patriots an almost certain touchdown in the first quarter with a stunning interception of rookie quarterback Mac Jones' attempted pass to Nelson Agholor in the end zone.

The Cincinnati Bengals beat the Las Vegas Raiders 26-19 to clinch their first play-off win since 1991.

Quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 244 yards, including touchdown passes to CJ Uzomah and Tyler Boyd for the Bengals, who had won the AFC North division for the first time in six years.

Cincinnati's second touchdown was controversial as the whistle had been blown for Burrow stepping out of bounds before Boyd held his pass and although that call was incorrect – Burrow had been in play – the down should have been replayed.

The Raiders had the chance to level the game with 12 seconds left in the fourth quarter, but Germaine Pratt intercepted Derek Carr’s pass in the end zone to extinguish the visitors' hopes.

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